The Portland daily press., 1887-10-31
Story of the Failure Of the North
Haven Fleet.

III 1901 lneIe were upwards OF SIX or seven
hundred New England vessels engaged in
the mackerel fisheries; today they have de-
creased to about two hundred and fifty. And
there are not nearly enough mackerel for
this reduced fleet, or if there are enough
they are too wild or too far from these wa
ters For the last three seasons the affairs
of the mackerel fishermen have gone from
bad to worse. This season they are in rather
a worse way than they were last even. Some
few vessels have done well, but in the main
the mackerel fishermen have hardly earned
their salt; some of them have actually failed
to do even that. Many have absolutely
nothing for the sustenance of their families
during the winter. OF course the owners
and managers of vessels feel the hardship,
though less severely than the men in the
forecastle. But to them even, the outlook is
SO unpromising that they are beginning to
talk of new fields of enterprise far from the
shores of New England and the Provinces
The action of the government in ordering
the release Of the British sealing vessels has
turned the thoughts of our fishermen to
Alaskan waters. "The release of those
British sealers," so they reason, "means that
our government has decided that it has no
jurisdiction over those waters outside Of the
three mile limit If that is so why should
not our fishermen have a chance as well as
the English. Those that get there first will
do the best. The seal fisheries are very
profitable" This is the sort of talk that is
going around among the mackerel fishermen.
Captain Sol Jacobs, with the Mollie Adams
and the Edwards has already started for the
Alaskan seas, all equipped for the seal fish
cries, and also for other fisheries of the Pa
cifc coast The famous captain of the Au-
gusta Herrick has also been talking of fol-
lowing Jacobs, whose example is talked of
in every cabin and forecastle in the New
England fleets. Captain Joyce, of the mack
erel steamer Novelty, spoke to a PRESS re-
porter Saturday OF thi, feeling of restless
ness. He doubts very much if many follow
Jacobs's example this year. Jacobs has been
in the sealing business around Newfound-
land, and knows considerable about it. 1t is
therefore not so much of venture for him
as it would be for most fishermen. But it
will cost nearly two thousand dollars to take
vessel around Cape Horn, and the season
is so far advanced that little more than
month is left for preparations. Captain
Joyce thinks that not more than four fishing
vessels at the most will go to the Pacific this
season. But should Jacobs have such good
luck as he expects, and another season prom
Use no better luck to the mackerel fishermen
here it would not be surprising if the sails of
good sized New England fleet were set for
the breezes that blow towards Cape Horn.
The seal fisheries, our fishermen think.
will be the most profitable, but there are
other fisheries in those regions. Captain
Sol Jacobs has taken gear for general fish
Ing. San Francisco is already large fishing
port. Her fishermen seek the seas of
Okhotsk, on the far off Siberian coast, where
the cod fisheries are very productive.
Banks bring into San Francisco as many as
fourteen thousand quintals of Goldfish at a
fare.
These facts curl fishmen are keeping in
mind, and the more they suffer from the
failure of our eastern fisheries the more they
think of the richer waters of the North Pa
citic. The real meaning of the failure Of
the mackerel fisheries is appreciated by few
who live comfortably on the land. But the
story that North Haven fisherman told
PRESS reporter Saturday, shows wildly the
straits to which his fellows are reduced, 81
sailed from North Haven on the Sea Foam
the middle of june" said he, land have
fshed all summer on our own shores, and on
the shores of Prince Edward Island. We
have worked hard, undergone much priva-
ton and danger, and now, at the end of the
season our profits, when divided up, amount
to just thirty-three dollars and forty cents
each. My outfit of boats, oil coat and other
clothing cost me about ten dollars. Our sea-
sons work, you see, has brought us in not
twenty five dollars apiece.
"Yeu ask if the Sea Foam did not have
exceptionally bad luck. No, she did not
There are fifteen vessels in the North Haven
fleet and l can tell you about what each of
them has done. In the first place will ex-
plain to you the system on which the fisher
men receive their recompense. OF an ordi-
nary sized schooner the crew consists of
about sixteen men. OF the total amount of
fish caught one-half goes to the vessel, or
rather to the vessels owners. The other
half goes to the crew. But before they can
divide it they must deduct enough to pay
the cook, who gets twenty-five or thirty
dollars month. The expenses for water
and packing are also sometimes deducted
from the half of the crew. Then the crew
divide their share, the cook and captain
sharing just as each of the rest of the crew
do. The recompense of the crew, therefore,
is in proportion to the success of the vessel.
snow will tell you of the luck of the
vessels of North Haven, and you can Judge
of the straits that the poor fishermen will be
in this winter. In the first place there is the
schooner Willie Parkman. She has secured,
think, only twenty-five barrels of mackerel
this season. Think of that for crew of
men. She is commanded by Captain Will
liam Henry Banks of North Haven, one of
the best gentlemen afloat or ashore. BE is
the veteran of the North Haven fleet, and
has generally been as successful as he is
brave. But this year it has been all bravery
and no success with him. Let me stop right
here to tell you what he did one night this
season. 1t was off 1.-THE Cape IShore,' that is
name we have for part of Nova Scotia
along by Cape Sable. 1t was one of the
darkest nights Of the year, the storm:raging
hand were working to reduce sail on the
Willie ParIman. One of the crew, Brigney
Dyer, was out on the main boom helping reef
the mainsail. OF sudden, by slat of the
sail, he was knocked into the sea. On any
other vessel or with any other captain he
would have been given up for lost. But old
Captain Banks, with all the weight of sixty
years upon him, called for volunteer and
Jumping into dory pulled for Dyer and
rescued him just as he was sinking. 1t was
the bravest deed of the season; and it is
pretty hard times when, under man of that
sort, crew can't earn their salt
"Then there is the Cora Smith, owned by
S. F. Smith of North Haven. She is S1o.-
900 vessel and / don't know that she has got
a fish this season. The Phoebe and Emma
Small, Captain Hiram Stone, has got, l
think, but thirtv-fve barrels all summer.
The Maud S., Captain Frank Thomas, Sc
cured only ten barrels in the Bay lat Prince
Edward Island and about eighty on the